Rat-trap.



G. E. NEWELL.

RAT TRAP.

APPLICATION FlLED APR. 14, 1915. 1,175,797. Patented Mar. 14, 1916. IZSHEETS-SHEET 1.

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' e. E. NEWELL.

RAT TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1915. 2

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GREENE E. NEWELL, OF ELIASVILLE, TEXAS.

RAT-TRAP.

Application filed April 14, 1915.

To all wlz am it may concern:

Be it known that I, GREENE E. NEWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eliasville, in the county of Young and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rat-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

An object of the invention is to provide a trap for use in catching rodents such as mice, rats and the like.

The invention contemplates, among other features, the provision of a trap which is electrically operated in that it provides entrances to a compartment of the trap and which entrances are electrically closed after the rodent has entered the compartment. The rodent now passes into the second compartment, which results in the electrical operation of the entrances of the first compartment to reopen the same, the rodent being confined and held in the second compartment and prevented from returning to the first compartment so that the first compartment is again ready, upon the opening of the entrances, to receive another victim.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this specification. in which similar characters ofreference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the trap; Fig. 2 is a front elevation; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view; Fig. at is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 4l-lin Fig. 1, the full lines indicating the open position of the closures and the dotted lines the closed position thereof; Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 5 5 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical connection.

Referring more particularly to the views, I provide a wire-like casing 10 divided by a transverse vertical partition 11 to form compartments 12 and 13. The compartment 12 is provided with a plurality of opposed openings 14 and mounted to swing on the Wire-like casing 10 are a plurality of vertically movable closures 15 for the openings 14, suitable arms 16 having connection with the closures 15 and projecting upwardly toward each other to have their free ends con nected with the armature 16' of an electromagnet 17. the armature being mounted in any suitable manner for vertical movement Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

Serial No. 21,412.

toward and away from the magnet 17 and permanently magnetized as clearly indicated 1n Fig. 6. The casing 10 is provided with a suitable handle 18 and a chamber 19 also forms a part of the casing to support an electric battery 20.

Q A platform 21 of some current conduct- 1ng material is arranged in the bottom of the compartment l2.and is supported on springs 22, said platform having an edge thereof hinged to the casing in any suitable manner. The partition 11 is provided with an opening 23 providing access from the first compartment 12 to the second compartment l3 and a wire-like guard 21 is arranged upon the partition to encircle the opening 23, said guard permitting of passage from the compartment 12 to the compartment 13 but preventing passage from the compartment 13 back to the compartment l2.

The compartment 13 has a platform 25 arranged therein and supported on springs 26, said platform being somewhat similar to the platform 21 and also made of a current conducting material. To the under side of the platform 21 but insulated therefrom is a contact 27 and immediately beneath the platform 21 are contacts 28 and 29. There is also provided a rigid contact 30 immediately above the platform 21 and the platform 21 normally engages the contact 30, but when depressed is adapted to engage the contact 28, with the contact 27 on the under side of the platform but insulated therefrom adapted to engage the contact 29. Now referring to the diagrammatic view, it will be seen that a wire 42 passes from the battery 20 and connects with the platform 21; that a wire 6 connects with the contact 28 and with the electro-magnet 17; that a wire 0 connects with the electro-magnet 17 and with the contact 30 and also that a wire d connecting with the wire 0 has connection with the contact 29, still another wire 6 having connection with the contact 27 and returning to the battery 20 in the manner indicated. Now with regard to the platform 25, it will be seen that there is a wire f connecting with the wire Z) and terminating in a contact 31 adjacent the underside of the platform 25, a wire 9 connecting with the platform 25 and returning to the battery 20.

Now in the operation of the device described the closures 15 are normally open so that the rodent can pass through either of the openings 14 into the compartment 12. At the moment the weightof the rodent is"- received upon the platform 21 said platform will be depressed, thus causing the platform to engage the contact 28 and also causing the contact :27 to engage the contact 29. This closes an electrical circuit through the Wire a to the platform 21, through the wire 6 to the electro-magnet 17 and through the wire 1 totheengaging contacts 29 and 27 and thencethrough the wire 6 back to the battery, the electro-magnet being thus energized toresult inthe operation of the arms 16, thereby swinging the closures 15 into closed position, to prevent the escape of the rodent. The rodent, naturallylooking for an avenue of escape, passes through the opening 23in the partition 11, and in so doing, steps upon theplatform 25 in the compartment 13. At the moment the rodent leaves the first compartment it will be apparentthat the springs engaging the platform 21 will retu'rnthe same to initial position so that the platform will engage with the, contact 30 and he out of' engagement with the contact 28, the contact 27 being thus disengaged from the contact 29. Depression of the platform 25ca'uses'the same to engage with the contact 31 and thus it will be seen that. the electro-magnet will be energizedin the opposite direction, thereby "causing the same to releasethe arms 16 and permit the closures 15 to [swing into an open position to receive the next victim, the current in the latter instance being adapted to'pass. from the battery 20'throughthe wirea and platform -21 to the contact 30,and thence through the .wire 0 to the electro-Inagnet, through which it passes to operate the same, causing the release of the compartment, the current then passing through the wire' I) and the wire "fv to contact'30which, engaged by the platform 25, results in current passing through the platform 25 and through the wire 9 baclrto the-battery,cthus completing the circuit.

From the foregoing description it will therefore-be seen that with a trap of the characterdescribed the entire operation will he electricallycontrolled inthat the first compartment of the trap will be open to receivethe first victim who,]upon entering the compartment,,- .vill, due to his weight, result in the electr'ical'operation of tlievelectronagnet,cau sing the closures-to the first compartment to assume their closed 7 posi- V tions. ,T he rodent now passing into; the: sec-- ondrcompartment andstepping upon the platform 25 again causes the electro-magnet to operate, resulting in the release ofcthe closures from their-closed position so that they can swing into open position to receive theneXtvictim.v V .1 From. the. foregoing description it will be seen that the trap constructed as mentioned claim '1. A trap comprising a casing,ap artition formed to dlvlde the casing lnto communieating compartments, doorscontrollingentrance passages into one of the compartments, a platformin each, ofsald compartinents, an electro-magnet, a source ofelecs trical energy, and a circuit connection between sa1d source of energy, magnet and one ofssaid platformsthrough which the current flows in a given direction upon depression of the platform in said circuit, a circuit connection between said ssource of energy, magnet'and other platform through which the current flows in an opposite direction around the magnetwith frespect to the first mentioned circuit when the latter mentloned platform'is depressed, and meansc'ooperating with said 'magnet to control the H opening and closing movements of said doors. I v

2. A trap comprising a cas ng, a partition formed to divide the casing intocommuni eating co1npartments, doors controlling entrance passages into one of the compart" ments, a platform ineach'of said compare ments, an elect'ro-ma'gnet, asource of elecs trical energy, and a circuit connection between said sourceof energy, magnet and one of said platformsthrough which the current ffiows in a given direction upon depression of sa1d"plat for1n, a circuit connection between 'sa1d source of energy, ,magnetand other platform through which the current I flows in an opposite direction around-the magnet-with respectto the first mentioned circuit when thelatter mentionedjplatform is depressed, means cooperating with said magnet to control .the opening'and closing movements of sa1d doors, and means for normally holding said platforms out of e'lectrlcal ,comrnun catlon wlth the r respective circu ts, i

3. Atrap comprising a casing a partition formed-to divide the cas ng into communi} eating compartments, doors controllingentrance passages into one ofthe co mpart ments, aaplatform 1n each of said compartments, a source of electrical energy, an electro-magnet, and a circuit connection between said source of energy, magnet and one ofsaid platforms through which the current flows 'in a giyen direction upon *depression'ofjsaid platform, a circuit connection between saidsource of energy, magnet and other platform through which the current flows in an opposite direction around themagnet with respect to the above mentioned circuit upon depression of thefl atter mentioned platform, and arms proiecting from said doors to cooperate with said magnet to control the opening and closing movements of said doors simultaneously as described.

4. A trap comprising a casing, a partition formed to divide the casing into communicating compartments, doors controlling entrance passages into one of the compartments, a source of electrical energy and a circuit connection between said source of energy, magnet and one of said platforms through which the current flows in a given direction upon depression of said platform, a circuit connection between said source of energy, magnet and other platform through 15 which the current flows in an opposite direction around the magnet with respect to the above mentioned circuit upon depression of the latter mentioned platform, arms projecting from said doors to cooperate with said magnet to control the opening and closing movements of said doors simultaneously as described, and springs normally holding the said platforms out of electrical communication With their respective circuits.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GREENE E. NEWELL. Witnesses:

W. G. MoGLoUvRY, O. C. ARDIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

